Kermit Ferrer - Chairperson
In 2011, Kermit drove into Palm Springs for the first time and immediately knew this was where he and his partner were meant to be. Vista Las Palmas was their dream neighborhood and in 2012, they were lucky enough to find a home there with amazing views. Over the course of the following season, they worked with Howard and Kevin of H3K to renovate their own mid-century paradise. For 6 years they frequently flew in from New York City. In 2018, Kermit and his partner were lucky enough to move to Palm Springs as full-timers.
Kermit was born in Puerto Rico, raised in Guatemala and spent 30 years enjoying life and building a great career at Macys in New York City. Kermit is a Logistics Professional with a history of optimizing the supply chain for the retail industry.
Kermit is excited to join the VLPNO Board to carry on the legacy of the neighborhood while creating a sense where we can all have fun in the most neighborly way.
Patsy marino - VICE Chairperson
A native of San Diego, Patsy Marino is a graduate of the University of San Diego. After a 12 year career in communications and Internet start ups, Patsy committed to stay home, support her family and raise her children. Always having a passion for Contemporary Art, education and children, Patsy found purpose in her work as a community volunteer. She served as a Trustee at the Museum of Contemporary Art in San Diego. Patsy devoted six years to re-opening The New Children's Museum serving served on the Board for 5 years with two terms President. During her Presidency, she co-chaired a $10mm capital campaign to get the museum out of debt.
As part of the executive committee of the La Jolla Arts Community, Patsy’s current project is The Murals of La Jolla, a privately funded outdoor public art project on private property.
Since 2015, Patsy has served on the Board of Trustees at The Francis Parker School.
She recently started a Foundation based in the Coachella Valley to support visual artists in the early stages of their career.
Patsy resides in La Jolla and Palm Springs with her husband of 19 years and their two children.
Joe Vassallo - Secretary
Joe and his husband Doug have been regular visitors to Palm Springs since 1990, part-time Coachella Valley residents since 1997, and more recently, they are happy to be planting some roots here in Vista Las Palmas.
Joe describes himself as a "reformed techie". After 2 decades of successfully working in software engineering and corporate executive management, Joe discovered the importance of community and civic engagement by volunteering in governance roles at not-for-profit organizations focused on community economic development and public education reform, two areas he feels passionate about.
As a certified green building professional, he is committed to bringing sustainability to our community. He has developed a niche specializing in helping the many vacation homes in Palm Springs become more environmentally sustainable and better neighbors. A challenge he’s both overwhelmed by and motivated to impact.
You might meet Doug and Joe exploring the Palm Springs foodie and craft cocktail scene or walking their Weimaraner Kaia either in the neighborhood or on the Lykken Trail.
Joe and his husband Doug of over 30 years split their time between San Francisco, Palm Springs, and Puerto Vallarta.
ChristY McMillIan - Treasurer
Christy and her husband, Thelton, bought their home on Rose Avenue in Vista Las Palmas in May 2022. Previously residing in Tahquitz River Estates, they moved to Palm Springs from the San Francisco Bay Area in the summer of 2020.
Recent retirees from the design and software development field, they’ve enjoyed settling into the Palm Springs lifestyle and love pickleball, golf, art, architecture, and not least the weather! Christy and Thelton are members at the O’Donnell Golf Club and Christy also volunteers at the Palm Springs Art Museum.
Christy is looking forward to helping connect the amazing residents of the Vista Las Palmas neighborhood and developing a strong and vibrant community.
BRUCE Frasier - MEMBER AT LARGE
Bruce and Richard bought their first home in Palm Springs in 2014 after selling a home in Orange County. One year later in July 2015 they bought their dream home in Vista Las Palmas. Bruce has practiced as the owner and principal architect for a firm in Omaha, NE for 46 years. The firm specializes in custom high-end homes, and Richard has practiced as a licensed landscape architect.
Bruce has served on boards in Omaha for the Symphony, Ballet, Omaha Club, Rotary, Forest Lawn Cemetery and Funeral home as well as President of the Museum of Nebraska Art and the St Augustine Indian mission school in Winnebago, NE. He has served on the building and restoration committees for historic churches in Omaha, NE and Galveston, TX. He currently serves on the fund drive committee for the Nebraska State Art Museum raising $36 million. Always involved in my communities and neighborhoods, Bruce is honored to serve on the Vista las Palmas Board. Bruce will become a permanent resident of Palm Springs upon his retirement at the end of 2022.
VINCE Tavani - MEMBER AT LARGE
After many pleasurable trips to Palm Springs, Vince and his wife Connie decided to make the big move to the desert; it became a question of when it would happen.
Throughout their 44 years of marriage, Connie and Vince resided in the Eastern cities of Philadelphia, Boston, and NYC. Manhattan remains special since their son Alex & daughter Gabrielle were born in the big city. Then it was time for the family to ‘go West’, as they enjoyed a few marvelous decades living in beautiful Sausalito, CA.
Now retired, Vince’s business career was a Senior Manager for major Brands: Levi’s, Dockers, Reebok & Adidas. It included positions in New York City & San Francisco plus two international assignments to Asia & Europe.
Vince is fully committed to Palm Springs, with Vista Las Palmas community as the foundation, he’s confident the new experiences will bring a well-rounded and fulfilling lifestyle.
Kevin Comer - member at large
Mr. Comer’s love affair with Palm Springs began as many do, with a visit more than three decades ago with his husband, Rick Distel. During that visit they fell in love with the city, its people, its history and its architecture, and decided if their future ever evolved to permit having a home here they would jump at that chance. In 2011 just that happened when they found the perfect Alexander, with one original owner, and purchased it without hesitation.
Civic engagement has long been a part of Mr. Comer’s daily life. He has served and chaired the Board of Assessment Appeals in the State of Connecticut, his city’s Democratic Town Committee, the Civic Relations Committee for the German Village Society (the largest historic district in the country on the National Register and located in Columbus, OH), and is the founder of We the People, a nonprofit focused on the study of issues of importance to voters.
Since closing Beck Street Capital, the private equity firm he founded, Mr. Comer has focused his activities primarily on the exploration of better, and yet commercially viable, solutions for the problems facing the most critical - and most elemental - aspects of daily life: namely food and shelter.
Mr. Comer lives in Palm Springs, CA and Washington, CT with Rick Distel, his husband and partner of over 30 years, and their two rescue pups: Cooper and Dodger.